The field of the disclosure relates generally to navigational charts, and more specifically, to systems used to report objects of interest to be included in navigational charts.
For vehicles operating in, or on, a body of water, such as a boat, a chart plotter may be used to display one or more navigational charts. The displayed charts assist a user in navigating the vehicle through the body of water. At least some known charts indicate the location of one or more objects of interest. For example, if the object of interest is an obstacle, the user can use the navigational chart to avoid the obstacle.
However, at least some objects of interest may not be included in a displayed chart, or may be indicated in inaccurate locations. For example, an older chart may not include an object of interest that appeared more recently. Further, some objects of interest may move over time. Moreover, some objects of interest may not be included in a chart simply because they were previously unknown to exist.
Accordingly, users may report an object of interest so that the object may be included in a new or updated navigational chart. However, in at least some known reporting systems, the user reports an object by calling a human operator and describing the object, and/or by composing and sending an email that describes the object. Such a process may be relatively time-consuming for the user, and accordingly, the user may decide it is not worth the time or effort to report the object. Further, in at least some known reporting systems, the only information collected regarding the object is a coordinate location of the object, thus making it difficult to verify the existence of the object.